SKEPTICISM

I'm assuming you've experienced both doubt and belief.

For some that's playing out right now because a lot of people these days don't believe in Christmas.  They believe in Christmas lights - they believe in Christmas trees - they believe in Christmas parties and Christmas gifts and Christmas eggnog -- but they don't necessarily believe in CHRISTMAS.

Not in the first six letters, at least.  Not in what it was all meant to be about -- that there was a God who loved the world so much He sent His only Son in the flesh - as a baby - to live sinlessly and walk obediently to a cross to be nailed there, sacrificing Himself for our sins because He loved us.

They don't believe in that.

But that's the real story of Christmas -- that God came down from heaven to become One of us.

The picture above is about skepticism sponsored by the American Atheist Association - the 'other AAA.'

'Dear Santa:  All I want for Christmas is to skip church.  I'm too old for fairy tales.'

Research tells us that 92% of people believe Jesus was a real person - but less than 50% believe He was God's Son.

So since they seem to be winning that theological war, why aren't the atheists content to just talk about being personally happy and leave the church out of it?  Why is there such an emphasis and attention on skipping church and denying Jesus with the skeptics?

Here's why.  Because they understand it's in the local church that people come to a place of life-altering faith in Christ.  It's in the local church where they begin to live that out.  It's in the local church where lives are changed and real freedom is experienced.

That's why the atheists want people to skip church.

Skepticism may be alive and well - but so is faith.

And be blessed.